October 06, 2006

Tobias Ellwood MP: Mission accomplished

The challenge to overhaul St Mary's Church and turn it into the comunity centre was met. At 4pm David Cameron, direct from delivering his final conference speech, visited the building to inspect all the hard work that was designed to be a practical illustration of the Party's theme for this conference: 'A new direction'

In four days of hard work we upgraded the electrics, fitted a new kitchen, painted fourteen rooms, created a reception room and artists area, and built a theatrical stage with full curtain rig. We assembled over 200 bits of IKEA furniture, (each of which have colourful names that I cannot pronounce) used 800 litres of paint over 6 tonnes of wood (environmentally friendly of course!) and 3,000 feet of wiring. We averaged around 15 people working from 8am until 10pm over four days; totalling around 700 man hours.

St Mary's turned into the alternative conference venue. Or put it another way - the longest fringe meeting conference has seen! Where else could you discuss policy and paint with a peer? Or meet an MP over a plank of wood and a drill?

And best of all - you did not need a conference pass to get in! Indeed, I'm grateful to Dorset Police for being so co-operative in delaying the issue of conference passes so more people headed our way.

But we have made real difference to Springbourne. And provided a lasting legacy. Whilst Party conferences come and go, this time we are leaving behind something permanent. Thank you to all who came and leant a hand; MPs Peers and Party Members, as well local volunteers and businesses.

I am not sure where the Party Conference will take place next year. But who ever is the MP or Parliamentary Candidate - my black and decker cordless drill awaits you!

Comments

What a load of old bollocks. Anybody can grab a headline by getting his staff to organise a makeover in a chapel, regardless of race creed or colour. This was no more an example of Tory change than if they had come down to Sussex and pulled the ragwort out of the hedgerows and paddocks.

When, when, when, will CCHQ realise that we are in a post-gimmick world?

I read about while on holiday and thought it was a marvellous idea and was disappointed I was away because I would have loved to help, so if you plan .anymore of those things make sure to post details on this website.

P Kennedy - Accepted, they could have done nothing at all. Someone will benefit from this. But Ellwood seems keenest that the party should benefit. Had it happened in Stornoway in April, or Aberystwyth in July, there would have been little or no coverage. But no - it happened in Bournemouth during conference time. Cheap, shallow mood music. We'll know it was genuine only if a programme of chapel restoration is rolled out across the country.

I'm glad that we don't all have Og's negative attitude. Surely the reason that we all get involved in politics is to make some kind of positive difference in the world, and just sometimes that means rolling your sleeves up and getting your hands dirty. I was glad to have been able to help with the project on Monday - congratulations to Tobias and his hard working team on getting the job done!

is this where the conservative party is currently at. more column inches on some media gimmick than policy. instead of talking about things that are of primary concern to the public we are left to read about our mp's and shadow cabinet few days spent painting and wiring. i know it's all about image now but while labour discuss real policies we are left as party members to read this rubbish. what it means to be a tory in 2006!

Paul and Og!!! What truly SAD people you are. Tories are organisers and doers. Big time. I was glad to spend all Sunday morning painting. Beats whinging and negativity. I bet people in the real world will not whinge. More likely to say come to our town next year, and bring your old jeans. You two have not caught up with the zeitgeist yet have you?

I hope that those who upgraded the electrics were qualified electricians. The work, at the very least, should have been inspected by qualified engineers. My personal experience of Mr Ellwood causes me to doubt whether such a professional approach was undertaken.

Conservative Future members had a great time getting involved. We took around 40 members down on Monday afternoon and did our bit.

For many of the CFers there this was run of the mill political activity for them. The CF team from Sheffield talked to me about how litter drives are a part of their event calendar. The CF team from Wirral told me how they team up with local park wardens to clear footpaths and go out twice a year to clean up the beach.

This is not a gimmick. Conservatives up and down the country are integrating with their community and making politics happen locally.

I got to know many of my members better in the process. And I got to talk to Cheryl Gillan about building CF up in Wales while we painted a wall together.

Oh and we helped create a community centre for people in Bournemouth. Seems like a good days work to me.

It was a brilliant idea, very well executed. I thought the presentation before the leader's speech was superb. Far better than the usual comic turn and the passing round of the fundraising bucket which is what we're used to.

Tobias is a dynamic character, with lots of charisma - what is more he's a very likeable individual. It's obvious that he has a great political career ahead of him.

We have lived in this road, in the area of springbourne all of ur life a have our grandparents, and its unfortuante to see such a beautiful church be turned into a 'shack' for residents of boscombe where true social deprivation lies. We have had irritance and trouble with the community centre since it opened its doors last year, increasing problems with nise and parking. The people who use the chuch use the highest amplification and have no care for the residents, parking continually over peoples drives and it seems the chairman Bob vernon, is souly interested in making a name for himself as being a hero in a so called deprived area. He has no runnnig of the everyday events and has no interest in the problems that have arisen from the groups that attend there.
Its a shame that for so long we have lived in peace and having worshipped in the church for so long its sad to see its decline. Apparently a church that has natural accoutics and was perfectly fine for worshippers and plays etc for so many years is not quite good enough for the new generation that worship and act within these walls. We have only encounted rudeness, lack of respect and total inconsideration from the church since it has been a community centre. We have lived here for 28 years, our parents for 70 years and our grandparents before that, never has there been irritance before, but then who should we listen to that it is such a wonderful project, a person that lives next to it and has lived in the road all their life or people that live in other areas that barely acknowledge what is ging on in the church? My mother wept when she waked into the church on the so called open night, expecting to see such wondrous evnts and actiosn that had supposedly taken place and yet she was confronted with a man who told her he had been clean for 10 years, paint all over the floor, hippies eating chips in the lounge and not one perons offering hr information or interest in someone who actualyl is a true member of the community.